Arts & Life

110

The Best Of Everything

4

co

V)

Like A Rock

U).

For 20 years, Norm LePage has brewed up
some good cookin' in Birmingham.

Letters from Mozart

Netherlands Wind Ensemble

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 8 PM
Rackham Auditorium

'Only a few times in a lifetime does one
have the chance to hear Mozart's Gran
Partita performed on a truly high level."
(De Volkskrant, The Netherlands)

PROGRAM
Mozart Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 361
(°Gran Partite) (1781)

FREE EDUCATION EVENT

PREP: Diary of an Ex-Basset Horn Player
Reflections on Mozart's Gran Partite

Michael Kondziolka, UMS Director
of Programming
Thursday, February 10, 7 pm
Michigan League Hussey Room

Supported by Ann and Clayton Wilhite. Media Partners WGTE 91.3 FM and Observer & Eccentric Newspapers.

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The former Norman's
ack in 1984, many in
Eton
Street Station had
the restaurant business
finally been gutted and the
had only one thing to
name changed to Big Rock
say when he opened another
Chop & Brew ... and then
restaurant ... "Well, here we
to
the present Big Rock
go again!"
Chop
House ... But of great
Norm LePage had gained a
importance,
too, was that, at
reputation for having ants in
last,
Norm
and
wife,
his pants, changing localities,
DANNY
Bonnie, will have what
concepts or whatever, regard-
RA SKIN
they've also wanted for so
less of their successes.
S enior
long ... a place. big enough
But here he is, 20 years
Col umnist
to do what so many genera-
later, and Norm is still at the
tions remember ... having
same location with his origi-
their
bar
and
bat mitzvah receptions
nally opened Norman's Eton Street
downstairs
at
Nifty Norman's, the first
Station that became Big Rock Chop
place to feature a burger bar.
& Brew and for the last seven years,
In March of 2005, the former Erb
Big Rock Chop House ... on S. Eton
Lumber Co. site, next door to Big
Street, south of Maple Road, between
Rock will became a 300-capacity ban-
Adams and Coolidge, in Birmingham.
quet room named The Reserve, with
The changes were of necessity, not a
its
own private kitchen.
personal whim ... Norman's Eton
Heading
the Big Rock Chop House
Street Station desperately needed the
kitchen
is
someone
whose dining
change ... It had at one time been a
track record does a lot of impressive
restored train station turned into a
speaking ... Jeff Rose was sous chef
casual American bistro similar to
under Chef Takashi Yagihashi at
Norm's first restaurant in 1974, his
Tribute
in Farmington Hills and sous
former Squire's Table on Commerce
chef
under Master Clef
Road that was transformed
Michael Russell at
into Nifty Norman's,
Iridescence in Motor
serving burgers,
City Casino in
fries, meat loaf,
Detroit.
etc.
Among the
He was no
excellent
spe-
stranger to
cials
prepared
fine dining as
by Jeff is one
well as casual,
of
the finest
owning nine
short
ribs many
restaurants at
have tasted ...
the same time in
juicy and very ten-
1988 (Nifty
der with a succulent
Norman's, Norm's
consistency that pro-
Oyster Bar, Norman's
Norman
and
Bonnie
LePage
motes
an elegant taste.
Eton Street Station,
Twenty
years ago,
Townsend Hotel and
Vera
Rizer
was
a
bartender
at
Rugby Grill, Norm's Diner, Norman's
Norman's Eton Street Station ... today,
Union Station, East Side Mario's and
she is Big Rock's very efficient, per-
a couple of Salvatore Scaloppini's) ...
sonable and knowledgeable general
These while also operating Mac &
manager.
Ray's.
Helen McCashland has been with
Norman's Eton Street Station
Norm
and Bonnie since Norm's
opened with 150 seats plus 20 at the
Oyster
Bar days in 1986 ... and came
bar ... Today, as Big Rock Chop
to Big Rock as their fine office manag-
House, seating is for almost 350 plus
er.
a bar with 30 more and its upstairs
Craig Wilson has been a fixture
Got Rocks cigar-martini bar that seats
behind
the bar since Norman's Eton
another 52 ... and where almost
Street
Station
opened ... and Carolyn
800,000 martinis have been served.
Clark began as a head waitress and is

B

Bart Schneemann, narrator

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